In short If you live in Switzerland, you can almost always buy your home here. It gets difficult for holiday homes bought from abroad and for pure investment property. A tightening is planned but not yet in force.
What is Lex Koller?
Lex Koller is the federal act on the acquisition of real estate by persons abroad. It has applied since 1985. It takes its name from Federal Councillor Arnold Koller, under whom it was revised in the 1990s. The law aims to keep too much Swiss land from passing into foreign hands.
What counts is not your passport alone but your residence and your permit. Persons abroad are:
- foreign nationals living abroad,
- foreign nationals living in Switzerland who are neither from the EU or EFTA nor hold a C settlement permit,
- companies based abroad and Swiss companies controlled by persons abroad.
Who needs a permit?
| Buyer | Own main home | Holiday home | Flat to rent out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss citizen, also abroad | free | free | free |
| EU/EFTA living in Switzerland | free | free | free |
| C settlement permit | free | free | free |
| B permit, non-EU/EFTA | free if you live in it | permit needed | not possible |
| Living abroad | not possible | permit and quota | not possible |
Main home with a B permit
With a B residence permit you may buy a flat or house as your main home. You must live in it yourself and may not rent it out. Building land is possible too, if you build your main home on it and start building in the year after the purchase.
Cross-border commuters
Cross-border commuters from the EU or EFTA may buy a second home in the region where they work without a permit. As long as they work there, they may not rent it out.
Holiday homes for buyers abroad
If you live abroad, you can only buy a holiday home with a permit from the canton. Strict conditions apply:
- The home is in a place the canton has designated as a tourist resort.
- The net living area is no more than 200 m².
- The plot is no larger than 1,000 m².
- You own no other holiday or second home in Switzerland.
- You rent the home out only from time to time, not all year.
Quotas
The Confederation grants at most 1,500 permits a year and divides them among the cantons. Zurich and Geneva do not permit holiday homes for persons abroad. If a person abroad buys the home from another person abroad, this does not count against the quota today.
Second homes in general
Separately from Lex Koller, the Second Homes Act applies: municipalities with more than 20 % second homes may not build new ones. This affects Swiss and foreign buyers alike. Existing holiday homes can still be sold.
Business premises
Offices, shops, workshops or hotels need no permit, even from abroad. The exceptions are plots for building homes, for property trading and for renting out flats.
The planned tightening
The Federal Council wants to tighten Lex Koller. It sent the draft into consultation on 15 April 2026; the consultation ran until 15 July 2026. The main proposals:
- Main home: People from non-EU/EFTA countries with a B permit would need a permit. If they move away, they would have to sell within two years.
- Business premises: Only those who use the premises for their own business would stay exempt. Buying to rent out would no longer be possible.
- Holiday homes: Quotas would shrink. Every purchase by a person abroad would count against the quota, including sales between foreigners.
- Property shares and funds: Persons abroad could generally no longer buy listed shares of residential property companies and funds.
EU and EFTA citizens living in Switzerland and C permit holders would not be affected. Next, the Federal Council evaluates the consultation and presents a bill to Parliament. Until the law changes, the current rules apply.
How to proceed
- Check your status. Use the table above to see whether you need a permit.
- Apply for a permit if needed. An authority in the canton where the property lies decides. The purchase contract only becomes valid with the permit.
- Sign the contract before a notary. The land registry checks compliance with Lex Koller when it registers the sale.
- Check the financing. Swiss banks also ask foreign buyers for at least 20 % own funds. Our affordability calculator shows which price suits you.
On the Kantello map you find houses, flats and building land across Switzerland, with location, price and the taxes of every municipality. All cantons compared are in our guide to taxes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a house in Switzerland as a foreigner?
Yes, if you live in Switzerland. With an EU or EFTA passport or a C settlement permit you buy without restriction. With a B residence permit from another country, you can buy your main home without a permit today, as long as you live in it yourself.
Can I buy a holiday home in Switzerland from abroad?
Yes, but only with a permit from the canton. The home must be in a tourist resort designated by the canton, have a net living area of at most 200 m² and stand on no more than 1,000 m² of land. Permits are limited to 1,500 a year across Switzerland. Zurich and Geneva grant none.
Does Lex Koller apply to Swiss citizens abroad?
No. Swiss citizens are not persons abroad under Lex Koller and buy freely, even if they live abroad.
Is Lex Koller being tightened?
The Federal Council has proposed a tightening. The consultation ran from 15 April to 15 July 2026. Parliament still has to decide, and a referendum is possible. Until then, the current law applies.
Sources
General information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Without guarantee.